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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28805355">(note: there will always be fire)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinwritesbooks/pseuds/penguinwritesbooks'>penguinwritesbooks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>? - Freeform, F/F, Falling In Love, Fire, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Genderbending, Idiots in Love, Love Letters, Portrait of a lady on fire au, Well - Freeform, strangers to friends to enemies to lovers, wlw rights</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:02:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28805355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinwritesbooks/pseuds/penguinwritesbooks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alice lay breathless on the shore, more sand and salt and poetry than human. Her chest rose and fell with the tide, unfinished breaths ebbing as her lungs did their best to inflate. She was to meet with Mr. Covington within the hour, but was having quite the time lying in the sand. She’d hitched a ride with a man who spoke broken French and only a few words of English. He’d disappeared down the beach as soon as he’d docked his little rowboat, leaving Alice alone to sprawl out on the ground in a pathetic attempt at quelling her leftover seasickness.</p><p>or: Viscountess Alessandra Mercer is sent to write letters in Duchess Willamina Covington's stead. Why would anything go wrong?</p><p>or: a portrait of a lady on fire au (you don't have to have seen the movie to read this!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Mercer &amp; Julie Molina &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie Peters, Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn &amp; Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. in which a challenge is issued</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alice lay breathless on the shore, more sand and salt and poetry than human. Her chest rose and fell with the tide, unfinished breaths ebbing as her lungs did their best to inflate. She was to meet with Mr. Covington within the hour, but was having quite the time lying in the sand. She’d hitched a ride with a man who spoke broken French and only a few words of English. He’d disappeared down the beach as soon as he’d docked his little rowboat, leaving Alice alone to sprawl out on the ground in a pathetic attempt at quelling her leftover seasickness.</p><p>Eventually, she managed to get to her feet, soaking wet and frozen nearly to the bone. Glancing around the beach, she quickly found the path Covington had told her to follow in their correspondence. He had also mentioned that he’d be away on business for the first week of her stay, and that his handmaidens would have further instructions when she arrived. Alice had never met a person with more than one handmaiden. She couldn’t imagine what he’d need them for. That is, until Covington’s estate came into view through the trees.</p><p>When she got to the front door, looking up at the building in front of her, she nearly sent all her belongings crashing to the ground. She was so busy marvelling at its grandeur that she didn’t notice three girls near her age hurrying out of a door to her left.</p><p>“Well, come inside!” one of them exclaimed. “You’ll catch your death out here.” Alice turned to face them, shaking herself out of her daze.</p><p>“Right,” she said, allowing one of them to take her suitcase and following them back in through the door they came out of. She found herself in the kitchens, immediately drawn to the fire roaring to her left.</p><p>“I’m Julie.” As she spoke, she took Alice’s sodden coat. She helped her out of her dress, leaving her in a chemise and knee-high socks.</p><p>“Alice.”</p><p>“I know, Caleb told us about you. That’s Lacey and Wren.” She gestured toward the girls preparing a plate of food for her. “I hope your trip was alright. I know the waters can be rather… rough at this time of year.”</p><p>“I managed,” Alice said, turning toward Lacey and Wren. She smiled to them warmly, laughing along with Julie as they clumsily maneuvered around the kitchen. “Is Duchess Covington here?” she asked.</p><p>“Always,” Lacey said, setting a plate in front of her. “<em>Caleb</em>,” she started, voice dripping with contempt for him. “Doesn’t let her leave alone.”</p><p>“But don’t call her Duchess Covington,” Wren added, eyes wide in warning. “She hates it. Like, <em> really </em> hates it.”</p><p>“Then what should I call her?” Alice asked. “I get the feeling that if ‘Duchess Covington’ is too formal, ‘Willamina’ might not be her first choice.”</p><p>“Willa would be fine.” A voice came from behind them, signalling Duchess Willamina Covington’s entrance. Alice’s breath caught in her throat as she turned around, immediately embarrassed to be found in just a silk slip and her socks. Willa’s hair tumbled across her shoulders in dark waves. She was wearing a long periwinkle gown, skirt sweeping across the wood floor as she casually took a grape from Alice’s plate. “Nice socks.”</p><p>“Um.” Her voice trembled, heart racing as she glanced up and down at Willa. “Thanks?”</p><p>“You’re welcome.” With that, she stole the rest of Alice’s grapes and left the kitchen. The girls held their breath as Willa’s footsteps receded and Wren quietly put another bunch of grapes on Alice’s plate.</p><p>“Uh, Mr. Covington said he left you with my instructions?” she asked, taking a bite of a piece of bread. Wren nodded, moving to open a drawer and pull out an envelope. She slid it across the table, as if presenting Alice with the sealing of her own fatality. It was addressed to ‘The Honourable Alessandra Mercer’, a title granted to her by her father’s status as a viscount. She pulled the yellowed sheets of parchment from their envelope, unfolding them with great care as if she were afraid to damage them.</p><p>
  <em> Alessandra, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I apologize for the inconvenience of my absence at your arrival. I expect to return within a week, given that the waters prove to be as acquiesent as I hope they might be. I’d like to assume that your trip was pleasant, and that you found your way to the manor without great issue. At this point, I imagine you’ve met Julie, Lacey, and Wren. When I get home, you’ll have to apprise me of their adequacy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> If, by chance, you’ve already met my niece, I must apologize for her disagreeable nature. She is to be wed to Duke Florian Chadwick in six months, and has decided that she does not accept this marriage. This is, of course, unacceptable, as it is her duty as a young duchess to marry. It would seem that Willamina has independently come to the conclusion that she should like to marry for love - a deeply fanciful notion she must have latched onto due to her habit of reading for entertainment rather than education. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You are to do two things in the months of your stay. Your first priority is to write letters and respond to those Duke Florian sends in Willamina’s stead. She refuses to engage with him, but it is imperative that he believe his future bride will be loyal and obedient to him. Duke Florian has met Willamina thrice and she has begrudgingly sent him a total of six letters; he knows how she writes, and won’t be fooled unless you imitate her mannerisms and writing habits in your letters. You are not to allow Willamina to find out that this is why you’ve come here. Instead, I have informed her that you will be accompanying her on her trips out of the manor. As a secondary task, I ask you to attempt to subtly convince my niece that this betrothal is a good thing. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’ve included the latest letter Duke Florian sent her in this envelope. Please read it, get to know Willamina, and respond as soon as possible. It has been a few weeks since he sent it, so please include in your letter that the weather has been poor and that his letter only arrived a few days ago. I greatly appreciate your service, and you and your family will be compensated accordingly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sincerely, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Duke Caleb Covington </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. in which time stops</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alice excused herself from the kitchen with a small smile, insisting she could find her own way to her room. She trailed a hand along the wall behind her as she followed the directions Lacey had given her. The hallways were painted purple and the dark wood flooring creaked under the weight of her footsteps. She pushed open the door, already reading the letter from Duke Florian as she crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. Her things had already been deposited on a chair in the corner, and she struggled to recall when Lacey or Wren would have been able to slip away to put her bags away.</p><p>
  <em>My dearest Willamina,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It troubles me greatly that I have not received any correspondence from you. Do you no longer wish to be wed? Have you fallen in love with someone else? I understand if this is the case, but I’m afraid I must insist you reply, as I’m beginning to worry for your safety and wellbeing. I only ask for a confirmation that you are alright, and then I promise I won’t send another letter or schedule another visit with you and your uncle.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even if you don’t want to marry anymore, I should still hope that we can be friends. I find your company quite enjoyable, and I would hate to lose your companionship entirely. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eternally yours,<br/>Duke Florian Chadwick </em>
</p><p>Alice spent a few days pondering how to answer, taking the time to get to know Willa on walks and at meals. She found herself blushing more and more over the days, falling in love with the way Willa glanced at her when she thought Alice wouldn’t be looking. After three days, she felt confident in her answer to Duke Florian, even if she hated betraying Willa like this.</p><p>
  <em>Florian,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’m sorry for the late response. I’ve only just received your letter. I assure you that I am perfectly alright. I greatly appreciate your concern, and I’m happy to say that I haven’t come to despise you quite yet.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I couldn’t be happier to call you my fiancé, <span class="u">and</span> my friend. I look forward to seeing you at your next visit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yours,<br/>Duchess Willa<strike>mina </strike>Covington</em>
</p><p>As she sealed it into an envelope, Florian’s letter wouldn’t stop playing in her head. She pulled it out of her nightstand, scanning over it yet again.</p><p>
  <em>Eternally yours. Eternally yours. Eternally yours. Eternally yours.</em>
</p><p>She took a deep breath and tore the letter she’d drafted in two. Pulling another piece of parchment from the drawer, she started to scrawl out a new one.</p><p>
  <em>Duke Florian,</em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>
  <em>Contrary to the return address on this envelope, this letter is not being written by Duchess Willamina Covington. My name is Viscountess Alessandra Mercer, and I was hired by Duke Covington to impersonate his niece. Willa has stopped writing letters, as it would seem you’ve noticed, so Duke Covington decided to hire someone else to do it for her. </em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>
  <em>I’ve been getting to know Willa over the past few days, and I can’t bear to do this on her behalf. To tell the truth, she does not wish to be wed. However, the way she speaks about you implies that she does like being friends with you.</em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>
  <em>You don’t know me, but I’m asking you to keep writing letters. Continue to plan visits with Covington, keep up appearances. If you don’t want to, I understand. It’s alright if you’d rather just insult me or Duke Covington <strike>or Willa. </strike>Okay, don’t insult Willa. She’s kind and warm-hearted and funny and doesn’t deserve any animosity she hasn’t earned. But if you’re angry with me for taking this job or with Duke Covington for lying to you, I understand.</em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>
  <em> However, if you’d like to be a friend to Willa and to do a stranger a favor, please send another letter. Tell me about yourself, and I’ll tell you about me.</em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>
  <em>Just know that I couldn’t lie to you, not with how kind you are to Willa. I sincerely hope you aren’t too upset about her unwillingness to marry you. I have to wonder if you love her, or if you’re doing this for your family. I’m sorry, that was too far. Don’t answer that if you don’t want to.</em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>
  <em>Best regards and apologies,<br/>Viscountess Alessandra Mercer</em>
</p><p>Eternally yours.</p><p>Alice sealed the new letter into the envelope, taking another look at Florian’s with a smile. “What are you doing?” She jumped at the sound of Willa’s voice, scrambling to fold Florian’s letter and put it back in its envelope.</p><p>“Just…” She looked down at the envelope in her hand, clearly marked ‘The Honourable Alessandra Mercer’, and ruled out the idea of claiming it was from her mother. “This… viscount. He’s been trying to court me for months. What are <em>you </em>doing?” Willa sat down next to Alice at the edge of her bed.</p><p>“I was coming to see if you’d go on a walk with me,” she said simply.</p><p>“Oh- yes, of course, I’d love to go for a walk with you. Just… let me get dressed and I’ll meet you in the kitchen?”</p><p>“You’ll need help with your corset, won’t you?” Willa asked.</p><p>“There’s no need to get one of the girls,” Alice said. “I’m sure I can manage.”</p><p>“I never meant to ask them,” she responded. “I’m quite capable of lacing a corset.” Alice could almost feel Willa’s hands on her skin, holding her waist, untwisting the laces of her corset. She nodded quickly, not quite trusting her voice to communicate an affirmation. Willa’s grin was suffocating as Alice pulled a dress out of her bag.</p><p>“It’s the only one that’s not completely soaked,” she explained, handing it to Willa.</p><p>“I like it,” she said, helping Alice step into it. It was brown and white, cream-colored ribbons loosely laced through the corset. One of Willa’s hands came up to push her hair off her neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. Alice shivered as her thumb brushed against the skin of her upper back, tightening the ribbons and carefully ensuring they weren’t twisted.</p><p>“Okay then,” she breathed, bracing herself on the bedpost as Willa pulled the ribbons tight. But then, maybe her bated breath was only somewhat due to the corset. “I get that you have to tighten the laces, but maybe <em>don’t</em> crack a rib in the process?”</p><p>She was startled by the giggle that escaped Willa’s mouth. “Sorry,” she squeaked. “I was kind of going for it, huh? It’s actually, uh, been a while since I’ve done this.”</p><p>Alice turned to face her with a smile. They caught each other’s eyes for a beat too long before she turned back around and let Willa finish tying her corset. “There you go,” she said, tying a lopsided bow and smoothing out the fabric of Alice’s dress. “Shall we?”</p><p>Alice took the hand she was offered with a smile, allowing Willa to pull her down the hall. They nearly fell down the stairs, tripping over several steps and barely landing on their feet. Willa threw a triumphant hand in the air before calling out to where she assumed the girls would be. “We’re going out!”</p><p>“Be careful!” Lacey responded, poking her head around a corner to point at Alice. “Don’t let her do anything stupid.”</p><p>“I will do my best,” she promised, smiling jovially as Willa tugged on her elbow. They let the door shut with a heavy <em>thunk</em> as they stepped outside, gossamer strands of sunlight streaming through the trees.</p><p>Alice turned around to make sure the door was shut tightly, and by the time she glanced back over her shoulder, Willa had taken off down the trail. Her hair floated behind her, tinted golden in the sun. For a fleeting, incredibly embarrassing moment, she forgot exactly what she was meant to be doing and just <em>stood there</em>. It wasn’t until her brain caught up with itself that she managed to start running after her, kicking up dirt and sand behind her as she desperately tried to catch up with Willa.</p><p>They tore through the trees, turning down the path opposite the one Alice had taken to get to the manor days ago. Willa seemed to be picking up speed as she ran, which only made Alice feel a little bit awful about her athletic prowess. She tried her best to focus on catching up, only to belatedly realize that Willa was approaching the edge of what looked to be a cliff. Time slowed to a crawl as she fought with the ground under her feet, forcing herself to run faster, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks below suddenly ten times louder. Part of her expected Willa to stop before she went over the edge, but she was terribly mistaken.</p><p>To her horror, Willa just turned around, flashed an all too charming grin, and stepped backward off the edge. There was something angelic about it; her hair floating as she fell, skirts pooling around her waist, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Alice didn’t pause; to think, to cry out, to look over the edge of the cliff to the water below, to take a deep breath. Instead, she simply followed Willa off the precipice, trusting that she’d either land safely in the water or die mercifully, without too much prolonged suffering.</p><p>Wind whistled in her ears, cold air wrapping its way around her ankles and climbing up her waist. She landed in the water with a splash not unlike the one Willa had just produced. When she resurfaced, gasping for air, and met Willa’s eye, her heart forgot its place for a moment. She was suddenly both <em>freezing</em> and entirely too warm to breathe. She was set ablaze by the excitement painted across Willa’s face and the unbridled joy in her eyes, and yet couldn’t help but drown in the edge of concern beneath her smile.</p><p>“Why would you do that?” Alice asked, pushing her hair out of her face and tried her best to pretend her heartbeat wasn’t reverberating in her ears. “You could have died!”</p><p>“So could you,” she responded, and <em>was she always this close</em>? Her breath was warm against Alice’s face, and her hair smelled like salt and sand and vanilla and magic, and she was staring at her as if there was nothing else in the world she’d rather be looking at. “But you jumped anyway. Why?”</p><p>“I-” Alice shook her head. “I trusted you. And I didn’t want you to die alone in this water.”</p><p>“And you thought that both of us dying would be better?”</p><p>“I’m not so sure I would have survived watching you die,” she whispered, turning her head to the side and frantically searching for anything to look at other than Willa. But then there was a frigid hand against her cheek, no doubt burning a handprint into her skin, and they were making eye contact.</p><p>“There you are.”</p><p>It wasn’t Alice’s fault. But then, it wasn’t Willa’s either. She just couldn’t help it, not with their noses close enough to brush against each other, and certainly not with Willa looking at her like that. Really, kissing her was the only logical thing to do. There was a single moment of ostensible calm, Alice cradling Willa’s face in her hands, kissing her like it was the only thing she knew how to do. For a few seconds, all was well, and not even the setting sun could look the other way. That is, until the glassy haze that had settled over them shattered. She was suddenly aware of the fact that Willa had frozen against her, the water going still around them.</p><p>“I- I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to- I never should have done that. God, we just met! I’m a terrible person, your uncle hired me to- I’m sorry,” she gasped, shoving herself away from a stunned Willa. She panicked slightly as she attempted to find footing in the water. She was never taught to swim, having grown up about as far away from the coast as possible, but she managed to kick and flail her way to where she was able to dig her feet into the sand under the water.</p><p>She more or less sprinted to the shore, scrambling to her feet and holding up her skirts. She turned in frantic circles, searching for a way back up the cliff. She knew she couldn’t just <em>climb</em>- could Willa? No, she insisted upon ignoring the girl she’d just left spluttering in the ocean. She could hear Willa swimming toward her, but couldn’t find a path up the rocks, so she decided to attempt to get back to where she’d docked on the shore earlier that day. She pivoted to the right, kicking up sand as she ran.</p><p>“Alice!” Willa called, coughing up saltwater as she sprinted down the beach. Hearing Willa say her name for the first time had Alice stumbling to a stop. She managed to stop herself from turning to face her, but couldn’t quite force her feet to start running again. Willa’s arms wrapped around her waist, turning her around to cradle her face in her hands.</p><p>“Hey, look at me,” she said. “If you hadn’t kissed me, I think I would have had to take matters into my own hands. I know that this could only ever end in flood or flames, but I’m tired of pretending to be someone I’m not. I promise, if you gave me one more minute to process what just happened, I would have kissed you back.” Alice shook her head, looking up through her lashes and wiping her tears away.</p><p>“I don’t-”</p><p>“That is to say that you are no more at fault than I am.”</p><p>“I shouldn’t have done that; it was foolish and- and <em>stupid</em> and-”</p><p>“Stop talking, Alice.” Willa pulled her in by the chin, kissing her without even a split second of hesitance. “Did you really think I was going to die in the middle of the ocean without kissing the prettiest girl I’ve ever met first? No regrets.”</p><p>It was freezing cold in the wind and soaking wet dresses, but Alice could have sworn there were burn marks forming where Willa’s hands were cupping her face. “No regrets,” she murmured, allowing Willa to interlace their hands.</p><p>“We should probably get back,” she said. “The girls will be worrying by now, assuming I fell into the ocean and died.”</p><p>“Well, you almost did,” Alice argued.</p><p>“Ah, but I <em>didn’t,</em> and that’s what matters, right?”</p><p>“No, what matters is that I jumped in after you because I thought I was going to have to save your life.”</p><p>“You do know that I’m the only one here who can swim, right?”</p><p>“What makes you think that?”</p><p>“I watched you flail your way to shore like a dog not five minutes ago, Alice. You really thought my uncle would let me live on the ocean without teaching me to swim? He’s worried enough about me like, jumping off a cliff and dying before he can marry me off to some Duke from Italy. He doesn’t need me drowning during an evening swim.” Alice nodded, following Willa as she started back toward the manor.</p><p>“That… Actually makes a lot of sense. I’m sorry about the whole, er, arranged marriage thing. I was supposed to marry a viscount when I was, like, 15. But then <em>his</em> parents found out that <em>my</em> parents were not nearly as rich as they thought. And then there was a huge fight, and I was like ‘I never wanted to marry your annoying kid anyway!’ and he was like ‘Are you serious? I’m rich!’ and <em>I</em> was like ‘yeah, well I don’t even like boys!’ and I called him and his parents a bunch of mean names and then his dad hit me in the face, and I passed out because that guy’s arms were, like, wider than my neck. But I woke back up pretty quickly, which was nice but then <em>everyone</em> was yelling at me instead of a few people and I’m quite sure my dad hit me over the head with a wine glass or something because I remember being in a lot of pain and there was blood on the back of my head, which was way less fun than you’d think.</p><p>And my little sister Andromeda was there, which was <em>super</em> not fun because I was trying to protect her while also being yelled at and trying to see straight. And then she was crying, and I was crying, and everything was loud, and I couldn’t breathe so I just, like, left? My sister was only 6, because of <em>course </em>everything had to be wrong and bad and stupid, so I couldn’t just leave her there. Then it was just me and Annie and I’m sure there was something deeply wrong with my head because everything was blurry, and I was carrying all our things <em>and</em> trying to make sure Annie wasn’t going to run away or something.</p><p>So we went and found my friend Evelynn’s house and moved in with her and Annie still lives with her and I miss her a lot, but I have to make money somehow, you know?”</p><p>“Wow.” Willa nodded to herself, taking in the information. “That’s- worse than anticipated. What’s Evelynn like?”</p><p>“Protective. She threatened to kill my dad when I showed up on her doorstep that day. But she didn’t! She just sent him a very strongly worded letter. And spit on the envelope. And put poison ivy in it. But mostly it was just the letter.”</p><p>“She sounds like fun,” Willa responded with a smile, gesturing to turn left. “What’s her family name? Is she a viscountess as well?”</p><p>“Her surname is Wilson, but she’s not related to Marquis Aurelius Wilson. It’s kind of nice, really- she’s so… normal. She plays the violin in an orchestra, and she’s unwed and doesn’t want children and she’s happier than any countess I’ve ever met. She’s like a sister to me.”</p><p>“I’m glad you have somewhere safe to call home.”</p><p>“Oh, you’d love it,” Alice exclaimed. “It’s absolutely tiny, but it’s warm and it always smells like fresh bread and there’s a garden in the front that’s almost bigger than the house itself. There’s chickens and a cat called Pork and I’ve sort of got my own bedroom- I mean, Evy and Annie share the real bedroom, but I’ve got a bed to myself with a bunch of blankets and there are curtains around it.”</p><p>“I’d love to see it someday,” Willa said. “It sounds… good.”</p><p>“It is good.” They slowed down as they approached the manor. Alice looked down at their intertwined hands and the sand that was stuck to their skirts with a fond smile. She met Willa’s eye, heart dropping for a split second at the mischievous grin she was wearing, and followed her gaze around the side of the house. “Oh no.”</p><p>“Oh, yes. We can’t very well just waltz in through the front door, can we? The girls would know what I did and… We have an agreement that as long as they don’t <em>see</em> me doing anything stupid, they won’t tell Caleb.” She squeezed Alice’s hand and led her in the direction of the door that led to the kitchen.</p><p>“I can’t believe I’m doing this right now.” Willa held a finger to her lips, pointing to a window left slightly ajar.</p><p>“You know, this is the second time I’ve jumped into the ocean today. I’m starting to think this job is a bad influence,” Alice hissed, sighing a breath of relief when they got around the corner.</p><p>“Second? When was the first?”</p><p>“Earlier, when we were sailing here. One of my bags fell into the water, and I only have so many dresses, so…”</p><p>“Who’s <em>we</em>?”</p><p>“Me and the very strange German man I hitched a ride with. I don’t speak German, but I’m fairly sure he thought I was rich.” Willa came to a stop, looking up at an open window on the second floor. Alice almost asked if she knew how to fly, before realizing it was her intent to climb the tree to her left. “No.”</p><p>“Well, you’ve gotten this far, haven’t you?”</p><p>“I don’t know how to climb a tree.”</p><p>“Can’t swim, can’t climb a tree, can’t speak German. At least you’re pretty,” she joked.</p><p>“Hey!” Alice exclaimed, smacking Willa in the shoulder. “I’ll have you know that I am good at <em>plenty </em>of things!”</p><p>“Hey, no one said you weren’t. I know firsthand that you’re a good kisser, at least.”</p><p>“Oh, my goodness, are you trying to tease me into climbing that tree? Because I can try, but I will fall, and it will be bloody.” Willa shook her head with a smile. She wrapped a hand around the back of Alice’s neck, surging forward to kiss her.</p><p>“I wouldn’t let you fall.”</p><p>. . .</p><p>Managing to tumble through a window without alerting anyone was a difficult feat. As it turned out, Willa had planned ahead, leaving her bedroom window open to climb back in through. While she landed in a graceful roll, Alice only managed a half somersault that quickly turned into Willa catching her before she could crash through the floorboards.</p><p>“Okay?” she asked, smiling softly as Alice glanced around at her bedroom.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m alright. A little dizzy, but alright.”</p><p>“Let’s get you into something warmer, yeah?” Willa asked. Alice nodded, blushing when Willa helped her out of her dress and handed her a new one.</p><p>“Won’t they know this is yours?” she asked, holding up the dress to make sure it would fit.</p><p>“I doubt it,” Willa responded. “They don’t keep track of my clothes. Lacey can barely sort out her own half the time, let alone mine.”</p><p>Alice took her at her word, pulling the dress on over her still-wet chemise. It only fell to her calves, but the sleeves were nearly a perfect fit. She spun in a circle for Willa, giggling as her hair threw leftover water droplets around the room.</p><p>“You look good,” Willa said with a smile, pulling Alice in by the waist to kiss her. One of her hands intertwined with Alice’s. “Dance with me,” she whispered.</p><p>“Right now? There’s no music!”</p><p>“We’re trying <em>not</em> to make too much noise, remember?”</p><p>“I want to <em>really </em>dance with you,” Alice said. “In petticoats and corsets, with violins and champagne.”</p><p>“Hey, come on. We don’t need music to <em>really</em> dance. Or petticoats, or champagne,” Willa insisted, shaking her head at Alice’s pout. “I think you just don’t know how to waltz,” she said with a smile.</p><p>“I <em>know</em> how to waltz, okay? My best friend is a violinist, and I’m nobility. I almost got married off to a stranger when I was 13 – you think his parents would have approved of a girl who couldn’t waltz?”</p><p>“I was just kidding,” Willa promised, “Just dance with me, okay?”</p><p>Alice shook her head with a smile. “Okay,” she whispered.</p><p>Willa smiled, pulling Alice closer and leaning up to set her chin on her shoulder. As they started moving, Willa hummed softly in her ear, earning a delighted giggle from Alice.</p><p>“Your laugh is pretty,” she said.</p><p>“Shh,” Alice replied. “I’m listening to the music.”</p><p>They moved in time with each other, narrowly avoiding one another’s toes with every step. Willa continued to hum until they came to a slow stop, pressing one last kiss to Alice’s lips before pulling away to hand her a towel for her hair.</p><p>“What do we do now?” Alice asked. “Just… Walk downstairs and pretend we were always here?”</p><p>“Don’t be silly,” Willa said, looking pointedly toward the still open window.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“It’s the only way!”</p><p>“I’ll fall and die!” Alice insisted.</p><p>“We’ve been here before,” Willa pointed out.</p><p>“Really? I don’t recognize the <em>lunatic</em> in front of me,” she responded, unable to stop herself from smiling at the look on Willa’s face.</p><p>“I’ll go down first, okay?  And I’ll catch you if you fall,” she promised.</p><p>“But I <em>won’t</em> fall, right?”</p><p>“Right. Just can’t be too careful, Less.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, ‘<em>Less’</em>?”</p><p>“Your name <em>is</em> Alessandra, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Oh my- just climb out the window already!” She waved toward the window with an exasperated grin.</p><p>“Would you prefer ‘Lissy’?” Willa asked, starting down the tree.</p><p>“Maybe I should just jump,” Alice said, flinching nonetheless when Willa nearly lost her grip on a branch.</p><p>“Maybe you should just climb down the tree and follow my lead,” Willa responded.</p><p>“I hate you,” Alice huffed sarcastically, clinging to the tree as she found her footing and started to make her way down.</p><p>“You love me!” Willa replied. Alice flushed red, turning her eyes to the three branches beneath her.</p><p>“Shut up.” She got close enough to the ground for Willa to wrap an arm around her and help her down.</p><p>“Hey, you.” They brushed noses for a moment, Alice squealing as Willa spun her around and kissed her.</p><p>“We should get inside. The girls will be waiting.” She nodded, setting Alice on the ground and leading her around the house. “Listen, I’m sorry about your uncle,” Alice said.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Just… He sounds hard to live with.”</p><p>“He is, I guess. But then, I can’t quite bear to hate him. Not since he gave me you.”</p><p>“I do, you know. Love you.” Willa smiled and turned toward her with stars in her eyes, looking at Alice like she was the one who hung them there.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>They walked into the manor side by side, calling out to Lacey, Wren, and Julie. “Are you two both intact?” Julie asked, drying her hands on a towel as she stepped out of the kitchen. “I’m proud of you, Alice! I’d half imagined you’d come back missing an arm and a leg.”</p><p>“You underestimate me,” Alice said.</p><p>“I guess so,” she said, gesturing with her head toward the kitchen. “Come eat! We’ve made dinner.”</p><p>They ate in pleasant quiet, sneaking glances at one another. Willa was vaguely aware of Wren and Lacey stealing looks across the table; they’d been dancing around one another for weeks, ever since Lacey wrote Wren a song for her birthday. She smiled softly at them, looking around to see if the others saw the same thing. She caught Julie’s eye, sending a pointed look toward an oblivious Wren. Julie shook her head with a smile, taking a sip of water to hide her grin.</p><p>Willa excused herself first, explaining that she’d gotten tired on their walk and had been looking forward to a nap. She was followed quickly by Wren and Lacey, who set out to send Alice’s letter to Duke Florian.</p><p>Julie and Alice sat in silence for a while before the former cleared her throat. “How was the letter-writing?” she asked.</p><p>“Oh, um… It was fine, at first.”</p><p>“At first?” Julie looked concerned as she picked up their dishes.</p><p>“I couldn’t do it,” Alice said. “When Duke Covington hired me, I thought I’d be drafting proposals to other families or something, not lying to people and using Willa for money.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Julie asked, sitting down across the table from Alice. “What was in that letter Wren and Lacey are mailing?”</p><p>“I… Told him the truth,” Alice confessed.</p><p>“You did <em>what? </em>Caleb will kill you!”</p><p> “Well, I kind of begged Florian to go along with it. I don’t know if you read his letter, but he was just so kind, I couldn’t bear it. I hope he doesn’t tell Covington,” she said. “I <em>need</em> this job. I have to make money for my little sister.”</p><p>“Well, I get that. I’m sending money home, too.”</p><p>“Do you have siblings too?”</p><p>“Well, yes. A younger brother, but the money is for my daughter.”</p><p>“Oh- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed. What’s her name?”</p><p>“Rosemary, after my mom. She passed away just before Rose was born.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Alice said. “I can’t imagine. I haven’t seen my mom in nearly four years, but… Gosh, I’m sorry, Julie.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” she said. “I just wish I could go home and see Rose. She’ll be turning two later this year, and I’d kill to be there for it.”</p><p>“Covington doesn’t let you see her?” Julie shook her head.</p><p>“I was so desperate for a job when I came here, and he was willing to pay enough to take care of my family… I barely even glanced at the contract before I signed it. The same thing happened to Wren and Lacey. None of us can leave for another three years.”</p><p>“I know how it feels to be trapped,” Alice replied. “I know it’s not the same, but my family was never… I was supposed to marry when I was 13, but I couldn't go through with it. I, er, never really liked boys.”</p><p>“Oh,” Julie said, eyes slowly widening as she came to understand what Alice meant. “Oh!”</p><p>“Yeah.” She nodded. “I left on the day I told them. My little sister Andromeda– Annie- and I ran away to live with my friend Evelynn. I haven’t spoken to the rest of my family since.”</p><p>“The world just hates us, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess so,” Alice said, giggling slightly. “So… Lacey and Wren, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Julie said, grinning. “Finally. They’ve been chasing each other for <em>weeks</em>.”</p><p>“I can tell.”</p><p>“So… You and <em>Willa</em> huh?”</p><p>“What? No. What are you talking about?” She stumbled over her words, blushing and avoiding eye contact.</p><p>“You’re <em>not</em> subtle. You wouldn’t stop looking at her while we ate, and you’re wearing a different dress than you left in.”</p><p>“Please, don’t tell Duke Covington,” Alice begged. “I don’t want Willa to get in trouble because of me.”</p><p>“I won’t, I promise.”</p><p>“Thank you so much. I think I’m going to get some sleep, now. It’s been a long day.” She stood up, turning toward the door. “Tell Lacey and Wren I said goodnight, okay?”</p><p>“I will,” she affirmed. “But, uh, listen. Willa is… Rather difficult to get to know. You’ll sooner drive yourself crazy than be permitted access to all her thoughts.” Alice smiled softly, shaking her head without turning away from the doorway.</p><p>“That’s quite alright. I’d go mad for the love of her.”</p><p>She padded down the hallway, looking forward to getting some sleep, only to be stopped in her tracks by a hand wrapped around her wrist. She was pulled into Willa’s bedroom before she had time to squeal, and kissed against the door before she could yell at Willa for scaring her.</p><p>Alice smiled into the kiss, looping her arms around Willa’s neck. “Hello to you, too.”</p><p>“Missed you,” she said.</p><p>“I figured as much,” Alice replied, holding back a smile. “But you<em> did</em> just see me at dinner.”</p><p>“I couldn’t very well kiss you at dinner, could I?”</p><p>“You’re ridiculous. Come here.” She pulled her into another kiss, allowing Willa to shuffle them backwards until they were sitting on the end of her bed. They broke apart just long enough to move toward the pillows. Willa turned so that she was half on top of Alice, laughing breathlessly as their lips connected.</p><p>They stayed there for what could have been hours, kissing and exchanging miniature conversations either would remember the next morning. At some point, they fell asleep still tangled in one another. Alice had ended up laying on top of Willa at some point, face buried in her neck as she slept.</p><p>As the clock downstairs struck one in the morning, Alice stirred in her sleep. Willa was woken by her distressed whining, only to find that she was clearly still asleep. She debated on whether or not to wake her for a few moments, until Alice cried out for her in her sleep.</p><p>“Willa, no-“</p><p>“Alice,” Willa whispered, gently shaking her awake. Alice jumped slightly, looking up at her through bleary eyes. “Hey, you.”</p><p>“Willa,” she breathed. “You’re okay.”</p><p>“I’m okay, angel,” she promised, squeezing Alice’s hand tightly. “I’m right here.”</p><p>“You- you were…” she didn’t seem to be able to finish the sentence, screwing her eyes shut and shaking her head.</p><p>“Hey, no. I’m still here, okay? Always,” she promised. “I’ll be here.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i have cried so many times writing this<br/>anyway come say hi @penguin-writes-books on tumblr! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi!! I hope you love this au as much as I do, because I am entirely in love with it. This chapter is pretty short, as it's just an intro to the concept. Here are all the names of characters and the characters they're based on (:<br/>Alice = Alex<br/>Willa = Willie<br/>Julie = Julie<br/>Lacey = Luke<br/>Wren = Reggie<br/>Florian = Flynn<br/>Charles = Carrie<br/>please god comment your favorite line or predictions or anything i live on comments</p></blockquote></div></div>
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